Southwoods, Mizuno rule Fil-Am golf tourney

BAGUIO – Can’t win ’em all.

CAP-Southwoods ran away with the crown in the Fil division at John Hay but its Am squad ran out of steam on the tough backside of the Baguio Country Club and lost to Mizuno-DHL at the close of the Fil-Am men’s international amateur golf championships here yesterday.

The romp by the Southwoods’ bets in the premier class was expected, where they coasted to a 48-point victory over their Mizuno rivals after a 145 and a 563. What was not was its team’s collapse on the final nine holes at the BCC layout, where it pooled a measly 46-point output after scorching the frontside with 69 points to draw level.

That 115 effort fell awfully short of Southwoods’ bid to sweep both categories for the third straight year as Mizuno, six-up after 54 holes and after a string of disqualifications from the Southwoods’ side, settled down at the backside to pool a 121 and rule the Am category with a 453. Southwoods, foiled on its three-peat bid, finished with 441, 12 points behind.

The Mizuno team whooped it up as Jojo Fernando, the team’s anchor in the five-to-play, four-to-count format event, turned in his scorecard of 29 points that ensured the victory many believed was won through talent, character and sheer luck – not exactly in that order.

Talent and character because Alfonso Marcelino (33), Roy Decendario (30), Ingemar Kiellberg (29) and Fernando never got discouraged and didn’t crack up in the face of the Southwoods bets’ rampage on the first nine holes, putting together one solid windup then watching their rivals self-destruct with atrocious scores on the tricky par 3-laden backside.

And luck because the win wouldn’t have become possible had Southwoods’ Lyndon Barril’s score (38) in the first day and Juami Rocha’s efforts (36-38) in the first two rounds not been nullified that pitifully transformed Southwoods’ 30-point lead into a six-point deficit heading into the final round.

But rules are rules and a win is a win.

"It’s good for the Fil-Am (tournament). At least it’s not all Southwoods show. Hopefully, this will encourage other teams to join and challenge Southwoods both in Fil and Am divisions in the coming years," said Southwoods team manager Jeric Hechanova.

Still, the setback, which came on the heels of Southwoods’ domination of the Am division in the last two years, spoiled the highly-anticipated sweep by the Carmona-based squad of this event sponsored by Smart, Sony-Ericsson, College Assurance Plan, Eva Air and John Hay Poro Point Development Corp.

And it somehow took some luster off its main team’s triumph in the centerpiece event -- the Championship Flight in the Fil Division -- as Angelo Que (37), Erwin Vinluan (37), Artemio Murakami (36) and Jerome Delariarte ( 35) buried the opposition with a smashing 145-point production and won by a monstrous 48-point victory.

Mizuno finished with a 515 after a 133, led by Jay Bayron’s 35. Mario Labajo and Emilio Tuazon had 33 points apiece while Marvin Dumandan had 32. Fairways and Bluewater took third place with 490 after a 132.

After two disqualifications, Rocha closed out with 34 points, sparking the team’s charge on the frontside with 19 points. Lyndon Barril opened up with 15 points before settling for 27, the same outputs put in by Thirdy Escano and Montito Garcia, whose backside scores of 10 and 9, respectively, virtually ruined Southwoods’ bid.

In other results, Home Metro Manila ruled Flight C of Fil Division with a 395 after a 105, beating Baguio City Council (367) and NBI Golf Team (351), while Hard Rock Café topped Flight D with 365 after a 98, 10 points over Green Water Meadows (87-355) and 24 over PAGA Int’l. (101-341).

Chamorro Golf Club scored 80 points to nip Team Brassie (77) in the countback for top honors in Flight E. Both teams finished with 323 while DKA Los Angeles placed third with 297 after a 79. PAGA Guam/PAGA 1 won Flight F with 310 after a 73, besting PMA Cavs Centennial Bank ( 62-307) and Yokosan Golf Club (71-290).

In the Am Division, Villa Cacho Golf Team topped Flight C with 316 after an 84 Phil. Int’l. Cont. finishing second (69-290) and NBI Golf Team third (75-283). Guam Kool Swingers ruled Flight D with 360 after an 87, beating Pugad Lawin (69-300) and Fil-Am at Diego (59-294). Baguio City Council scored 59 points for 276 and a four-point victory over Eva Air/Mark (61-272) in Flight E, while Team Brassie exploded with 56 points (257) and romped away with Flight F honors. DKA Los Angeles finished second with 243 after a 57 while Benguet Farmers Hydron placed third with 235 after a 48.